


Verdant Optimism

by Lee_of_io



Series: Self-Indulgent Symbrock Fluff Fics [1]
Category: Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Other, Slice of Life, Venom takes up gardening
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-09-30 22:49:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17232623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lee_of_io/pseuds/Lee_of_io
Summary: Maybe the needs of a houseplant were the self-care techniques we learned along the way.orVenom critiques Eddie's choice in home decor and they adopt a plant or two.





	Verdant Optimism

**Why is there vegetation decomposing by the window?**

 

“What?”

 

That had been the last question Eddie had expected to come out of Venom’s mouth about their current surroundings. Given the adrenaline-fueled rush that had been the first few days of their symbiosis and the crash that came afterwards in the wake of terrifying shared near-death experiences, Venom had little time to really take in the ‘aesthetics’ of their host’s abode (minus any minute broken glass fragments or lingering blood stains ground into the grout that was missed by the crime scene cleanup specialists). Really, it was a huge testament to a.) the cheapness of the apartment building, b.) the apathy of the landlord, and c.) Anne’s skill as a legal expert, that Eddie was able to keep the place (out of sheer desperation. “Yeah, it’s a piece of shit, but honestly, this is the most affordable place for my needs. Plus it’s within walking distance of the grocers.”).

 

Eddie was thrilled that so many of his belongings had managed to survive the raid on his house via Drake’s men. Sure, some of the stuff was irreparably smashed to pieces as collateral damage, but overall, if Eddie was able to good to sleep on a bed and wake up to a nice working shower, that was a win in his book. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but for what things were: with his life intact, Venom on the mend from their little self-sacrifice stunt with the rocket explosion, and a place to lay his head at night, he could appreciate this little haven of theirs.

 

That was why, of all the things in the apartment that Venom could have fixated on for the subject of critique, the shriveled little houseplant that (despite everything still) sat at the windowsill was not one he would have put money on.

 

“It’s just a plant I was keeping around. You know, to try and brighten up the place. Make it feel a little more like home.”

 

If Venom had eyebrows, Eddie had the uncanny impression that one would have been raised at the term “brighten up”. As it was, the default expression and silence that the Symbiote leveled at him was more than enough to convey their skepticism.

 

**Humans are strange. The vegetation can’t possibly taste good now that its dead.**

 

“It’s not for eating. It’s just, for fun? I don’t know. It’s like when people get a pet, only less maintenance.”

 

As Eddie is wondering at what his life has become, explaining the thousands-of-years-old ingrained human instinct to try and domesticate all other organic life on Earth to his amorphous alien body-mate, Venom extends a tendril and gingerly prods the last remaining leaf of the houseplant. With perfect comedic timing, the leaf crumbles into dusty pieces.

 

Both host and Symbiote are silent at this.

 

**Need a new plant, Eddie.**

 

“Yeah, I don’t know about that. As you can probably tell, I’m not the best at keeping them alive. Hell, I can barely take care of myself let alone a plant.”

 

Eddie wonders at the flood of excitement and determination radiating from Venom at this proclamation of disgruntled defeat.

 

**That was before. Now that we are here, we will take care of Eddie and the plant! Both have about the same needs, so it shouldn’t be too difficult.**

 

It was enlightening to know that Venom considered their host’s needs basically analogous to those of a houseplant.

 

Sensing the self-deprecating turn of their host’s thoughts, Venom tried another angle.

 

**Please, Eddie? If human’s need foliage to ‘brighten’ their shelters then we should hunt down the best ‘houseplant’ that can be found. That way the plant can make this place can be a home for us!**

 

Eddie stopped himself before he went on to explain that it wasn’t the plant that made the apartment home per se, just as the implications of Venom’s words caught up to him. Venom didn’t just want to coexist in Eddie’s body, and thus the environment he inhabits, but rather, they wanted to help shape that environment into something special for the two of them. A place that reflected their shared personalities and comforts. A place outside of Eddie’s own body where Symbiote and host could feel safe and authentically themselves. A home.

 

“Yeah, let’s do that. We’ll go to the gardening store first thing tomorrow.”

 

**Excellent! We will get the biggest plant they have. Only the best for us!**

 

“Let's keep it on the smaller side, yeah?  We only have so much space on the sill, so trees are out.”

 

* * *

 

The next morning finds Eddie up early and researching gardening stores in his area. It’s actually a nice change of pace to have a goal for the day rather than shuffling listlessly about his kitchen or cocooning himself in bed for half the day. While Venom was undoubtedly an improvement in his life, he still wasn’t back on his feet, in the employment game or otherwise. Finding a reason to put on a pair of shoes other than for the occasional quick duck into Mrs. Chen’s to gather foodstuffs seemed to inspire a rush of productivity in Eddie.

 

Time to go get a plant.

 

The weather was sunny so rather than pick a place that was halfway across town, they decided on a little hole-in-the-wall nursery shop within easy walking distance.

 

The place they arrived at was modest but cozy. Venom’s enthusiasm was infectious upon Eddie walking in the door, a soft chime from a bell above them signaling their entry.

 

An elderly woman behind the counter to the left of the door glances up at Eddie and smiles. “I’ll be with you in just a moment, hun. I just have to feed these Venus flytraps.”

 

Eddie assures her it was no problem and watches as the woman secures a fat sow bug from a container with a pair of tweezers before delicately placing the wriggling prey into the waiting mouth of the flytrap. Eddie and Venom both watched with a kind of grim satisfaction as the plant quickly sprung into action and snapped up its snack.

 

**_Eddie. That plant. We want that one._ **

 

He could almost imagine the Symbiote tugging on his sleeve and urgently pointing at said plant for emphasis like a small child at a pet shop with their parent.

 

_No, V. I don’t want bugs in the house. At least no more than there probably already are. We’re looking for something that only needs the basics, not a literal other mouth to worry about feeding._

 

**_We could share some bad guys with it. Doesn’t look like it eats much. Maybe a kidney or two._ **

 

_NO!_

 

**_You’re impossible to work with._ **

 

Venom continues to grumble inside him but soon shifts focus as the woman packs her supplies away and approaches them.

 

“So what can I help you with today?”

Eddie proceeds to explain how he’s looking for a houseplant that doesn’t grow too big and wouldn’t require too much maintenance. “Basically anything idiot-proof. I…haven’t had the best track record with these things.”

 

“That’s no problem at all, hun”, she smiles and begins leading him around the small shop to a couple of table of potted plants.

 

Thus began what felt like the longest half hour of Eddie’s life. Between the shop owner listing off the various features of each given species of plant and an almost continuous run of commentary from Venom running through his head ( ** _Look at that one, Eddie. It has defensive weaponry sticking out of it_** , and, **_She said this one has toxic sap. Seems like the perfect match for us_** , and, **_Look Eddie, this one buds new spawn like we do._** That last one, in particular, the two of them would need to circle back in on for discussion at some point, because _what?_ ) Eddie was just about ready to grab a plant at random and call it a day.

 

Perhaps sensing that she was losing he was becoming overwhelmed by all the available options, the shop owner took pity on him and placed a pot in his hands.

 

“If all else fails, I recommend the peace lily. They’re low-maintenance, don’t need direct sunlight, and can handle a little over or under watering without too much fuss. They can get a little on the tall side, but that just means their happy where they are.”

 

“I’ll take it.”

 

* * *

 

After a few moments of silence to commemorate the disposal of long-dead (unidentified) plant that had propped up the apartment windowsill, the newest addition to the Venom household was carefully positioned into place.

 

The weeks, and eventual months, that followed witnessed the steady growth of their peace lily, bringing a soft verdant glow to the area around the window. I became such a welcome bit of life in the otherwise drab apartment that Eddie decided to shift a chair over to the window so that he could enjoy the sunshine in the morning with his cup of coffee while Venom diligently poked and prodded the plant’s stem, leaves, and soil in their version of gardening.

 

Before long they needed to make a trip back to the shop to obtain a bigger planter and more soil, as their lily had gone through a growth spurt in summer climate and was threatening to bloom soon. Eddie even let Venom talk him into getting a small cactus to take over the territory that the lily would have to vacate in light of its new upgraded pot.

 

A morning shortly then after Venom eagerly dragged Eddie away from bed toward the windowsill to trill joyously at several petite blooms that had opened in the pale morning light.

 

**Our plant has reached sexual maturity, Eddie! We are good parents!**

 

And boy, that was too strange a statement to be hit with before coffee.

 

He could admit that it was a lovely sight. The blossoms fanned out like one big petal and were a pleasant soft off-white. A faint scent drifted through the air.

 

“Well V, this is a nicer plant than I ever imagined living, let alone thriving in a place like this.”

 

**Only the best for our home, Eddie.**

 

**Author's Note:**

> There really is no rhyme or reason to this story. I just felt the urge write something a bit more silly and fluffy after finishing my last two fics. I was, in particular, thinking about the meme about basically being a houseplant but with more emotions, and I went, "that fits here somewhere". So, yeah. Happy New Year!


End file.
